Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

K endra

I woke up slowly, the dull ache in my muscles pulling me out of the hazy remnants of sleep. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was—everything around me was quiet.

I shifted slightly, wincing as I stretched my legs, the lingering pain from the fight with the wolves settling deep in my muscles. Every inch of me throbbed with soreness.

But that wasn’t all that had happened last night.

My thoughts drifted back to Rowan. I could still feel the heat of his hands on my skin, the way his touch had driven away the pain, replacing it with overwhelming desire. He had been everything I needed and more, and now, I lay here, aching and exhausted, but utterly content.

But gods, I was sore.

I let out a soft groan as I rolled onto my back, the cool air brushing against my bare skin and making my nipples pebble. Beside me, Rowan stirred, his arm draped over my waist, his body warm against mine. He was still asleep, his breathing deep and steady. I glanced over at him, his face relaxed in the soft light, and I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips.

Maybe I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

I lay there for a while longer, safe in his arms, before his eyes opened and stared back into mine. There was a softness there, something tender that made my heart ache and twist with emotion. Even after everything, he still looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.

“Morning,” I murmured as I brushed a hand over his chest.

“Morning,” he replied, his voice low and gravelly from sleep. His arm tightened around me, pulling me closer. “How are you feeling?”

I let out a small laugh, though the aching in my body made me wince.

“Sore,” I admitted, “but… I’m okay. Better than I expected after everything.”

His eyes darkened, a hint of arousal flowing into them. The bond between us pulsed, that familiar connection settling over me like a warm blanket. For a moment, we just lay there in the quiet, our bodies tangled together, the world outside seemingly far away.

But I knew it couldn’t last.

“We’re not out of this yet,” I said softly, breaking the silence. “The Resistance… And after yesterday’s attack…”

Rowan nodded, his expression hardening. “They will think we’re both a threat. Especially now that you’ve shifted too.”

I sighed, pulling back slightly so I could look into his eyes. “What are we going to do? They’re going to want answers, and I don’t think they’re going to be satisfied with whatever we tell them.”

“We’ll face it together,” Rowan said firmly, his hand tightening around mine. “Whatever happens next, we’ll figure it out.”

Just as the words left his mouth, a loud knock echoed through the warehouse, startling both of us. I jerked upright, my heart racing as Rowan’s protective instincts kicked in, his body tensing beside me.

The door creaked open, and a familiar figure stepped through. It was Captain Sorin, her dark eyes cold and unreadable as she looked at the two of us.

“Get up,” she said, her voice flat. “It’s time.”

“Time for what?” Rowan asked, though there was no real need for the question. We both knew what was coming.

Sorin’s expression didn’t change. “The tribunal. They’ve convened to decide what to do with you.”

A chill ran down my spine at her words, but I forced myself to stay calm, glancing at Rowan before climbing to my feet. He stood beside me, towering and calm, but I could see the tightness in his jaw, the tension in his shoulders. He was ready for whatever was coming, even if I wasn’t.

Sorin’s eyes flicked to me, her gaze lingering on the light bruises and marks still visible on my skin from the day before. There was something unreadable in her eyes, but whatever it was, she didn’t voice it. Instead, she tossed a pile of clothing my way and then another toward Rowan, motioning for us to dress. I pulled on the pair of khakis and a long flannel shirt, covering up my nakedness as quickly as possible. I put on a pair of socks and a sturdy pair of boots too. I glanced in Rowan’s direction to see him pull on a shirt, a pair of jeans, and a pair of boots. Once we were both done, Sorin turned sharply and indicated that we should follow.

“Let’s go,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

I hesitated for a moment, my stomach twisting as I thought of what awaited us in that tribunal. But Rowan’s hand slipped into mine, his touch grounding me, and I followed Sorin out of the warehouse and into the cool morning air.

The walk to the tribunal was short, but every step felt heavy, my mind racing with the possibilities of what could happen. Would they exile us? Execute us? Keep us as prisoners? I didn’t know, and the not knowing was worse than anything.

Rowan’s presence beside me was the only thing keeping my nerves in check. I glanced up at him, his expression stoic, though I could feel the tension radiating from him. He was ready to defend me if it came to that, but I hoped it wouldn’t.

The tribunal was being held in the heart of the Resistance compound, in a large building that appeared to have once been a courthouse before the Collapse. Its towering walls loomed over us as we approached, the windows boarded up and the once-grand steps cracked and broken. Soldiers stood guard at the entrance, their weapons at the ready, their eyes cold and suspicious as they watched us approach.

Inside, a small group of Resistance leaders sat at the front of the room, their faces hard and unreadable. Sorin led us forward, her posture rigid as she took her place beside them.

“Rowan Blackwood,” one of the leaders began, his voice echoing in the quiet room. “And Kendra… We have yet to decide what to do with you and it is the purpose of this tribunal to figure that out.”

Rowan squeezed my hand, his voice steady as he spoke. “We’re not your enemy.”

The leader’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t interrupt. He glanced at Sorin, then back at us. “The attack yesterday has raised questions. And we want answers.” He leaned forward slightly, his gaze cutting. “What are you really doing here? And why are the wolves hunting you?”

Rowan took a deep breath, his grip tightening on my hand as he spoke. “The wolves are after me because of who I am—because of my bloodline. And now that I’ve marked Kendra, they’re after her too.”

The Resistance leaders exchanged glances, their eyes dark with concern and rampant suspicion. Sorin stood off to the side, her arms crossed, her face impassive, but I could tell from the rigid set of her shoulders that she didn’t like this one bit.

One of the leaders, a large man with a scar cutting across his cheek, leaned forward, narrowing his eyes at Rowan. “So let me get this straight,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “You’ve led a pack of wolves right to our doorstep, and now you expect us to believe it wasn’t intentional? That it was merely a coincidence?”

Rowan’s jaw tightened, his hand still holding mine as he answered, his voice steady. “We didn’t lead them here on purpose. We’ve been on the run for days—weeks—trying to stay ahead of them. The attack yesterday wasn’t about you; it was about me. They’re hunting me because I’m Patient Zero.”

“And now they know where we are,” Sorin cut in coldly. “They’ll send more soldiers, more wolves, and it won’t stop until they have what they want. You’ve put us all in danger.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the room, and I felt a knot tighten in my stomach.

“That’s not what happened,” Rowan protested, his voice rising slightly, as a bit of frustration crept into his tone. “We weren’t even trying to find you. We were just trying to escape them.”

The leader shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “Intentional or not, the fact remains that you’ve brought trouble to our gates. We’ve fought hard to stay hidden from the wolves, and now… well, now they know where we are.”

“They’ll come,” Sorin added, her voice hard and unforgiving. “And they’ll come in force. Yesterday’s attack was just the beginning.”

A heavy silence fell over the room.

I took a deep breath, my mind racing as I tried to think of something—anything—to calm the growing tension. We couldn’t fight them, not like this. We needed to work together. The wolves wouldn’t stop hunting us, and if we didn’t find a way to convince the Resistance that we were on their side, we wouldn’t survive the next attack.

“I understand you’re scared,” I said, stepping forward, my voice shaky but determined. “But we’re not your enemy. The wolves… they’re relentless. They want Rowan because of his bloodline, but we didn’t ask for this. We’re just trying to survive, just like you.”

Sorin’s eyes flicked to me, her expression unreadable. “Survive at our expense?”

“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “No, we can help each other. You’ve been fighting the wolves for years. You know their tactics, their weaknesses. And now, with Rowan and me… we know what they want. We know how far they’ll go to get it. We can work together.”

The leaders exchanged glances, their expressions hard, but I could see a flicker of uncertainty in their eyes. They didn’t want to trust us, but they knew the truth—we were all in this together, whether they liked it or not.

The man with the scar spoke again, his voice gruff. “You really think working together will stop them? And if they want you that badly… what’s stopping them from sending even more soldiers? From wiping us all out?”

“They’ll send more,” Rowan said, his voice grim but steady. “But you’re underestimating what we can do together. You’ve been holding them off for years, and now, with us, you’ll know what they want. You can use that against them. You’ll have a chance to fight back.”

Finally, after a long moment, one of the other leaders—a woman with short-cropped hair and sharp eyes—spoke up. “They’re not spies,” she said quietly but firmly. “I don’t think they’re here to deceive us. If anything, they’re running from the same thing we’ve been fighting all along.”

The scarred man grunted in reluctant agreement. “If they were spies, they wouldn’t have let the wolves attack one of their own.”

“Alright,” Sorin said after a long pause, her tone clipped. “We’ll work together. But this doesn’t mean I trust you, Blackwood. Or you, Kendra. You’re dangerous—both of you. And if I see even the slightest hint that you’re working against us, I won’t hesitate to end you. Either of you.”

I nodded, relief washing over me even as her threat lingered in the air all around us. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.

And then, with a sudden crash, the double doors to the tribunal were thrown open.

Everyone in the room turned at once, the loud bang echoing through the high ceilings, and my heart lurched at the unexpected noise. A gust of wind swept in through the doors, throwing dust and loose papers up into the air, and for a moment, the light from outside silhouetted the figure standing in the doorway, casting him in shadow.

He stepped inside without hesitation, his footsteps echoing loudly across the chamber, each one confident and deliberate. The man moved with purpose, his long coat billowing behind him as he strode forward, every inch of him radiating command. His presence was magnetic, the kind that drew everyone’s attention instantly, without him needing to say a word.

He wasn’t a Resistance soldier—there was something different about him. His hair was dark, streaked with touches of silver, and his face was hard, chiseled with deep lines around his eyes. His build was powerful, tall, his shoulders broad beneath the thick coat he wore. He moved like someone who knew exactly where he was going, with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, and yet, he carried it effortlessly.

The room went still as he marched through the center, cutting straight toward the leaders gathered at the front of the tribunal. No one moved to stop him. He didn’t slow down, didn’t waver. He had the look of a man who had already decided he belonged, and everyone else was just trying to catch up to that fact.

He stopped in the middle of the room, his eyes sweeping over the Resistance leaders, then locking on Sorin for a brief moment. He didn’t even glance at Rowan or me as he stood there, taking control of the room with little more than his presence.

The man cleared his throat, his deep, gravelly voice cutting through the tense silence.

“We need to talk.”

His words weren’t a suggestion—they were a command, plain and simple. The Resistance leaders exchanged glances, clearly unsure of who this man was or what he wanted, but the confidence with which he had entered left no room for doubt. He had come for a reason, and whatever it was, it was serious.

Sorin was the first to speak, her eyes narrowing as she regarded him. “Who the hell are you?” she asked, her voice cold and sharp.

The man’s lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. He gave a small, respectful nod, but there was nothing apologetic about his posture.

“Name’s Silas,” he said, his voice calm but commanding. “I represent a group that’s been watching the movements of the wolves for some time now.”

Sorin’s expression didn’t soften, though I could see a flicker of interest in her eyes. “And what group would that be?”

Silas held her gaze for a long moment, then finally looked around the room, his eyes sweeping over the gathered Resistance members before landing briefly on me and Rowan. “A group that’s interested in keeping humans alive,” he said evenly. “And right now, that means you’re going to need all the help you can get.”

A murmur went through the room, some of the Resistance soldiers shifting uneasily.

Sorin’s jaw clenched, and I could tell she was fighting to maintain control of the situation. “We don’t take kindly to uninvited guests walking into our meetings unannounced,” she said coldly. “So, unless you have something of value to offer, I suggest you?—”

“You’re going to be overrun,” Silas interrupted, his voice steady but forceful. “You thought the attack yesterday was bad? It was just the beginning. They’re mobilizing and from the looks of things, they’re coming straight for you.”

I felt a chill run down my spine at his words. The room had gone deadly quiet, every set of eyes on Silas as he spoke.

“They’ve been planning this for a long time. They knew you were out there, they just didn’t have a handle on your location,” he continued, pacing slowly as he spoke, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. “And now that they know where you are, they’re going to hit you with everything they got. You won’t stand a chance if you try to hold them off on your own.”

Sorin bristled, clearly not used to being spoken to so bluntly. “And what exactly are you proposing?”

Silas stopped his pacing, turning to face her fully. “I’m proposing an alliance. You’re not the only group fighting against the wolves, Captain. There are others—some bigger, some smaller. But none of us can survive alone. If you want to make it through what’s coming, you’re going to need all the help you can get.”

Another murmur went through the room, and I could see the uncertainty written all over the faces of the Resistance leaders. Sorin remained silent for a moment, her eyes scanning Silas as if trying to figure out his angle.

“And why should we trust you?” she finally asked, her voice laced with suspicion. “You barge in here, demand an audience, and expect us to just fall in line?”

Silas shrugged, his expression calm, though there was an edge of steel in his gaze. “Because the alternative is death.”

Sorin stared at Silas for a long moment, her expression hard, but I could see the gears turning in her head. She didn’t trust him—that much was obvious—but she wasn’t foolish enough to ignore his dire warning. If what Silas said was true, the wolves were gathering, and the Resistance was going to need every advantage they could get.

Finally, Sorin let out a slow breath, her posture stiff. “Fine. We’ll talk,” she said, her voice clipped. “But don’t think for a second that means we’re on the same side.”